A 19-year-old died from his injuries Tuesday after he fell from his skateboard while being towed behind a vehicle on Apapane Street in Kaneohe.

The accident happened early Tuesday morning at around 2:30 a.m. The father of the victim identified him as Alan Michael Danielson, who graduated from James B. Castle High School last year and lived at the family's home at 45-550 Apapane Street.

Emergency responders say Danielson was being towed by a car when he lost control and crashed, sustaining significant injuries to his head. He was initially transported to the Queen's Medical Center in extremely critical condition, where he later died.

"It's hard for me too cause I feel like he's my grandson too," said neighbor Rosetta Lum, whose grandson grew up with Danielson since the age of three. "He was always at my house with my grandson," she added tearfully. "He was a very good boy."

Neighbors in the area say the smooth, windy road is ideal for skateboarding, but that reckless behavior is commonplace.

"All the time they're riding from the top of the hill coming down," said Kaneohe resident Norman Remigio, who lives near the scene of the accident. "I even stop them a couple times and tell them, 'You know, you guys should go in the park. What's going to happen if you guys get hurt? If a car comes and bangs you?'"

Lt. Robert Towne, Honolulu Police Department traffic spokesman, said the accident is currently classified as a possible case of negligent homicide in the third degree involving the driver of the car. If charged and convicted, the driver faces up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Towne added that Danielson was hanging on to the passenger side of a car driven by another 19-year-old Kaneohe man, who is a neighbor and friend of the victim.

The last skateboarding related death on Oahu happened on April 17 when Reid Krucky, 16, was killed while being towed by a moped on his skateboard. Krucky lost control and hit his head on the pavement on Kalanipuu Street. He was taken by ambulance in critical condition to a trauma center where he later died.

That death prompted city Councilman Joey Manahan to sponsor two bills that would require skateboarders to wear helmets at skateboard parks and other public places, such as streets and sidewalks.

Both bills failed to pass the Parks Committee in June, but Manahan convened a task force of stakeholders to consider ways of making skateboarding more safe. After meetings and follow-up communications between task force members, Manahan said he's considering another bill that would change the definition of skateboards and other wheeled toys to fit the state's existing bicycle helmet law for kids. The law has been in effect since 2001, and states that anyone under the age of 16 must wear a helmet while riding.

"My next steps are meeting with the city prosecutor to see how we can address it from the judiciary standpoint, because they're the ones that basically have to go and try these cases if they do get tried in court," said Manahan. "I'm ready to push a bill out maybe in about a month, two at the most depending on what the city prosecutor advises us to do."

In May, KITV4 reported the helmet law for kids is hardly every enforced, with Honolulu Police issuing a total of two citations all of last year. Manahan conceded enforcement of the helmet law is a concern, but said the inclusion of skateboards and other wheeled toys could help raise community awareness.

"Hopefully, the parents and children will have their awareness raised so that they would reconsider if they weren't going to wear a helmet before," said the councilman.

Danielson is survived by his parents Michael and Dawn Danielson and his two sisters, Jade and Samantha.

19-year-old Alan Michael Danielson planned to attend college next week as a freshman, and was known around his block as the kid who would help anyone. Now his family is in mourning after one fatal mistake on the very street where he grew up. KITV4's Andrew Pereira has our top story at 6. Yunji, Paula... the tragedy has renewed a councilman's push to try and force young skateboarders to use helmets. Smooth, fast and downhill. For skateboarders ... Apapane Street in Kaneohe offers an invitation to ride. NORMAN REMIGIO: "SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THEY ALWAYS RIDING DOWN THIS HILL. AND IT'S A GOOD HILL TO RIDE A SKATEBOARD, BUT IT'S DANGEROUS ALSO YEAH." That danger surfaced just a few feet away from Alan Michael Danielson's doorstep. The 19-year-old and his friends had taken skateboards down Apapane Street countless times before. ROSETTA LUM: "THEY WOULDN'T GO ON THE ROAD, THEY WOULD JUST DO IT ON THE SIDEWALKS YOU KNOW." But early Wednesday morning at about 2:30, police say Danielson was clinging to a car with his skateboard, when he lost control and hit the pavement. Danielson's father was too distraught to speak on camera, but neighbors ARE feeling the family's pain. Danielson was pronounced dead after doctors at the Queen's Medical Center made every effort to save him. ROSETTA LUM: "IT'S HARD FOR ME TOO CAUSE I FEEL LIKE HE'S MY GRANDSON TOO. HE WAS ALWAYS AT MY HOUSE WITH MY GRANDSON. HE WAS A VERY GOOD BOY." ANDREW PEREIRA: "CLINGING TO THE BACK OF A CAR WITH YOUR SKATEBOARD IS AGAINST THE LAW, IT'LL COST YOU A $72 CITATION. IN THIS CASE, THE MAN WHO WAS TOWING DANIELSON IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE IN THE THIRD DEGREE, A MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 30 DAYS IN JAIL AND A $1,000 FINE." In June, Councilman Joey Manahan introduced two bills that would force skateboarders to wear helmets at skate parks and other public areas such as streets and sidewalks. Both bills failed to pass, but Manahan has not given up, especially in light of Danielson's death. JOEY MANAHAN: "I THINK IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT THE ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED." Instead of creating a new county ordinance, Manahan is considering changing the definition of skateboards and other wheeled toys to fit the state's helmet law for kids. That law says any child under the age of 16 must wear a helmet. JOEY MANAHAN: "I'M READY TO PUSH A BILL OUT MAYBE IN ABOUT A MONTH, TWO AT THE MOST DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CITY PROSECUTOR ADVISES US TO DO." Manahan acknowledges the state's bicycle helmet law is hardly every enforced. But... by folding skateboards and other wheeled toys into the existing law, he hopes it'll raise awareness among parents and their kids. Back to you. They came, they

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